What is Love?
by Nightshade1999
Summary: One day, the question hits him like a freight train when little Vera came running to him, he expects a request not a question. Not a question that would stump him at the age seventeen… (Part 2 of the Demigod Stories series)


_This is an almost prequel to 'I Like How I Am With You'. This would take place two days before the first story, so consider it in the same universe and enjoy._

One day, the question hits him like a freight train. Nico had been in the middle of a training session, younger campers whacking each other with wooden swords. It has been three years since the battle against Gaea, and Nico was feeling better than ever. He has gradually grown into his role as a camp counselor and he was a favorite among the younger generations. Perhaps it is because he was willing to play silly games with them, give piggy back rides, inspire confidence in those who were ashamed with their confidence, or hold them when they cried, homesick and missing their parents. So, when little Vera came running to him, he expects a request not a question. Not a question that would stump him at the age seventeen…

Vera is a small daughter of Ares, barely seven years old, and a little terror of her own. She likes climbing on his lap and having Nico braid her hair, and he remembers what she said the first time: 'You have a gentler touch than Lacy and you can do fancy French braids. Do my hair, Nicky?' Since then, the little girl has grown attached to him, viewing him as a big brother figure. Nico had to admit he liked her too. She was a fighter, born prematurely, with asthma and a heart defect. And so, the little girl is running to him, her blonde pigtails swaying behind her as she tries to reach him. Big fat tears roll down her plump baby cheeks and her face is red with exertion. He immediately kneels down to her eye level and catches her.

"Hey sweetheart, what's wrong? I thought you had arts and crafts today with the Athena cabin?" Nico asks concerned. She sniffs and takes a deep breath, revealing two missing front teeth.

"I d-did." She wipes her eyes furiously. "B-but Bobby and I got into a fight." Nico blinks once and then twice. Benjamin 'I prefer Bobby' is her best friend since she arrived at the camp nine months ago. The eight year old boy was known for being callous, but he was a child of Athena and a bit of a show-off, in Nico's opinion.

"Well, what did he say?" the girl hiccups.

"He said I couldn't possibly know what love was because my mother left me." Nico does not know how to respond to that. "So, Nicky, what is love?"

He doesn't know the answer. He isn't prepared for this. He looks at her with panicked eyes. "Why would you ask me?"

"You are my bestest friend," she shrugs and his heart warms. He lets out a breathless laugh and lifts her up into the air and settles her small body on his waist. She rests her head on his shoulder, white blond braids getting lost in wavy black locks.

"Love is…" Nico begins, tongue thick and heavy. He does not know how to explain love. He had only found it a while ago, in so many forms and so many different ways. Nico glances around the camp, his eyes landing on Will teaching an archery class and that's when it clicks. He looks down at Vera's wide green eyes, important people flashing in front of his eyes.

He sees Hazel. The way she would stroke his hair after a bad dream and distract him by asking to sketch him. Half the time she would pull out old films that came out when they were children and they would burrow into the stupid purple couch she put in his cabin. But it was those days that his chest felt lighter and he would kiss her temple

He sees Jason, the way he would bring him down from his panicked state with a few gentle words, hair stroking and hugs. They were both tactile people, seeking out affection from others when the pain was too much to deal with. Nico remembers how Jason split a brownie with him and took him to the top of the Jupiter cabin to see the stars. Jason was his solid rock and his head cleared up every time. So he would hug him, gratefully, and make food for his dates with Piper in return.

He sees Bianca and his mother, loves long gone. How his sister would sing him to sleep at night and their mother would kiss their foreheads when she tucked them in. On his birthday, his mother took him to see the Coliseum, the year after she brought them to America to protect them from the war. After Maria di Angelo died, Bianca took up the mantle and Nico remembers how she would pester him into eating more vegetables and rock him to sleep when he missed his mother's touch. Bianca always filled his soul with love so he would always kiss her cheek.

He sees Reyna, the woman who trained him to be a better fighter. She never coddled him on his bad days. Instead, she would slap his back or push him out of the bed and hand him a silver dagger. ' _Get up and spar with me_ ' she would say and he would follow unabashedly, only to get his ego bruised. He appreciated that she never treated him like he was fragile, but pushed his limits. So he would buy her sweet gifts and take her out on lunch dates to make sure she wasn't lonely on her days off.

And finally he sees Will, the patient man he had come to give his heart to. The one who held him close at night and snuggled him when he didn't want to move out of bed. The one who insisted on kissing him, reminding him he was the special one. Will would wake him from a bad dream and squeeze his hand, whispering how he would always be there to bring him back from the brink when things got bad. Will made Nico feel different, beautiful and valued. His toes curled, his stomach fluttered and his heart would beat faster.

So Nico had his answer to what love was.

He takes a deep breath. "Love is, unfortunately, indescribably, amazing. There is no pattern, no definition, no logic or reason behind it. It's a tender emotion, one that defines us as human beings. Just because your mother sent you here does not mean she does not love you any less. My mother died when I was young, because she loved my sister and me and moved us to America to be safe." Vera looks at him with confused eyes and he looks back at Will, who is giving him a curious glance, before turning to the girl on his hip.

"So to answer your question: What is love? Love is what you make it out to be, Vera. It is not the person who merely birthed you or manipulates you for their benefit. It is the person who is willing to make sacrifices for you. Love is the person who dedicates their time and energy to make you feel like the princess you are darling. Love needs no words, as long as you feel it in here." He puts his hand over her heart. "That is what love is."

Vera stars at him, eyes open and wide, before she tucks her face into his shoulder and kisses his cheek. He blushes and puts her back on the ground.

"What was that for?" he grins at her and she grins back, dimples appearing in both cheeks.

"For your explanation. I just wanted you to know that I love you Nicky." She kisses his cheek again and hugs his pants legs as he stands in shock, tears filling his eyes. Vera gives him a smile before she runs in the other direction to the strawberry fields.

"What has got you so emotional?" Will says, arms wrapping around Nico's waist. The teen leans back into his boyfriend's chest and turns to face him. "Oh no, Neeks, you're crying. Did Vera say something bad?" Nico shakes his head and presses their foreheads together.

"I need to tell you something." Nico places his hands on either side of his lover's face and peers into the deep blue pits. He hasn't said the words yet, in their three years together, but he knows when Will hears them through the way they touch. He tries to string the words, yet his face only warms and his throat is swelling and his eyes are filled with more tears.

"You can tell me anything, babe. You know that." Will presses earnestly and wipes away a few stray droplets. So Nico lets the ball drop the best way he knows how.

"I love you." The words fell from his lips fluently, like he hadn't struggled to put them together. "I love you Will Solace, I love you so goddamn much." And then he is being kissed like he has never been kissed before, harshly and Nico almost arches and mews into it. Will pulls back and laughs, rubbing their noses.

"Come home with me tonight?"

"Yes," and they resume kissing in the arena with all of Camp Half-Blood watching. But Nico doesn't care, because he has his love and it's a great feeling.


End file.
